In this blog post we’ll guide you through the top 10 attractions for a 3 days London itinerary.
I think everyone loves London and we don’t even need too many reasons for that.
Maybe it’s because of its beautiful buildings and streets or because of the beautiful mix of people who live there. I have no idea but I wish I’ll live there too for a period of time.
Enough about my affection for London, let’s get straight to business!
1. Saint Paul’s Cathedral
111 meters tall, it’s the second largest cathedral in the world, after Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, it’s huge!
The site where the Cathedral is place has been a religious site dating back thousands of years.
On this place, in 604 after Christ, the oldest church in England was made and dedicated to Saint Paul. It eventually was destroyed and the actual version was designed and built in 1675-1710.
The dome is worth visiting as it’s probably the most impressive part, walking 257 steps you’ll reach the Whispering Gallery that has impressive acoustics!
After another 376 steps, the Stone Gallery is reached and it has some beautiful views on the city.
But if you want to be fully impressed, you want to arrive to the highest point of the cathedral, the Golden Gallery, 85 meters tall.
If interested to visit it, here’s a ticket skip the line link.
2. Westminster Abbey
It’s a royal church that touched the lives of kings, queens, soldiers, poets, priests, heroes and villains since 960 after Christ.
Has been the coronation church since 1066 and in 1953 the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was held here as well.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were married at Westminster Abbey in April 2011 but also Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip in 1947.
More than 3000 famous people are buried and many others commemorated in the Abbey, like: Jane Austen, Nelson Mandela, Charlotte Emily & Anne Bronte, Sir Isaac Newton, Martin Luther King Jr.
3. The National Gallery
Situated in Trafalgar Square & with an admission free, you can’t miss it.
Some of the must see exhibitions are: Sunflowers of Vincent van Gogh, Self Portrait at the Age of 34 – Rembrandt, Whistlejacket – George Stubbs, The Entombment – Michelangelo, Bather at La Grenouillère – Claude Monet etc.
4. Big Ben
One of London’s most famous landmarks, it’s the Houses of Parliament’s iconic clock tower.
Built in 1844, Ben is actually the name of the massive bell on the inside.
It’s more than 96 meters tall and it’s not open to the general public, so we can admire it only from the outside.
Very beautiful at night as well, when the clock faces get illuminated.
The latin words under the clockface read DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means “O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First”.
5. Buckingham Palace
It’s the official London residence of the Queen, only open to public during the summer.
One can enjoy here the changing of the guard – free to watch, no tickets required, check this link for dates times and other info.
The changing of the guards event is quite popular so be sure to arrive early to get the best view!
6. Portobello Market
Located in the trendy London district of Notthing Hill, it’s really several markets in one.
Here you can enjoy antique and specialist shops and stalls, beautiful painted buildings, talented street performers and in general a multicultural and vibrant energy and excitement.
Up until 1940s, portobello road market was like any other market, selling food and other essential items that continue today too.
Gradually, antiques have become what this market is best known for.
Now it’s the world’s most iconic and famous markets and it remains one of London’s most famous street and definitely a must see.
Check out their website (link) and find out the open times and what products are sold on each day of the week.
7. Hyde Park
Located right in the heart of London, it’s one of the eight Royal Parks.
You can admire the views across the lake, the memorials and statues and you can also dip your toes into the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain.
It has beautiful wildlife too with diverse variety of flora and fauna species and a beautiful rose garden.
We enjoyed a very relaxing walk in this park, here is a link with the map and main attractions.
8. Kensington Palace
From the Hyde park we arrived to the Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace.
Now it’s the official residence of Kate Middleton and Prince William, but back in 1820’s, it was the childhood home of Queen Victoria.
Areas of Kensington Palace are open to the public, visitors can walk through the King’s and Queen’s State Apartments and the Gardens. There are also exhibitions plus a shop and The Orangery cafe.
You don’t want to miss the Sunken Gardens, planted in 1908, it has a large variety of exotic flowers, perfectly manicured, so beautiful to watch in that peaceful surrounding.
9. Tower of London
Its buildings and grounds served historically as a royal palace, political prison, place of execution (22 executions to be very precise), an arsenal, a royal mint, a menagerie and a public records office, no kidding!
You can explore here 1000 years of history and see the world famous Crown Jewels!
Definitely take the Yeoman Warder tour to learn more about the stories of pain and passion, treachery and torture.
The ravens play an important part as they’re considered the guardians of the Tower. 6 ravens are always kept at the Tower, for superstitious reasons.
Probably one of our favorite attractions of London 🙂
10. Tower Bridge
It’s located close to the Tower of london from which it got its name.
One of the most beautiful and famous bridges of London, it took 8 years for one design out of 50 submitted to be approved.
Many make the mistake of calling it the London bridge but that’s a different one.
Was built over 125 years ago to ease road traffic and since 1982 it’s open to visitors to discover how it was made and to enjoy spectacular panoramic views from the high-level Walkways as well as the Victorian Engine Rooms.
It’s still in function, here a link to find out the bridge lift times.
And now, for a complete 3 days London itinerary guide, here are some background info & tips to fully enjoy your stay:
– we took the #Ryanair flight from Milan BGY airport to London STN airport (cheaper tickets)
– we used the Stansted express train to arrive into the city, more exactly into the London Liverpool Street (link for the tickets), the train station was very easy to find, the trains arrive every 15 minutes, duration of travel is 45 minutes and the tickets costed 22 pounds, return included (booked months in advance)
– for the transportation in London city we bought the Oyster visitor card online, very easy to get & use, cheapest way to travel in London, you can use it for bus or trams and you have also access to other discounts (here a useful source for learning more and eventually order it)
– use the typical London bus as much as you can and travel at the second floor, in this way you’ll feel like in a guided tour every time you move from one station to another 🙂
– expect very high prices/tariffs in general
– check the conversion rates for your euros/dollars before choosing the place where you want to convert your money and choose only safe places like banks or authorized conversions spots
– the food is not great but try fish & chips
– the taxis and phone cabins are great for insta pictures, trust me and take as many photos as you can with these 2, success guaranteed!
That’s it dear royal lovers, hope you’ll enjoy your stay in London city as much as we did and let us know if there is another must see attraction that we may have skipped.
3 Days London itinerary - top 10 attractions
1. Saint Paul’s Cathedral
2. Westminster Abbey
3. The National Gallery
4. Big Ben
5. Buckingham Palace
6. Portobello Market
7. Hyde Park
8. Kensington Palace
9. Tower of London
10. Tower bridge